Dangerous Associations
by Laree
Summary: *MitSen Yaoi for now* A fic that I'm writing for the MakiSen no Miko, Ju-chan. Mitsui is part of a dangerous crime organization with Maki determine to bring him down.
1. Default Chapter

  


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Laree's Slam Dunk Fanfiction

This fic is unbetad, unedited, not to mention rushed. Don't expect too much…Heehee…but at least I tried. This fic is for Ju-chan, MakiSen no Miko and Fellow ellie. *Huggles Ju-chan* I hope you like this Juju. I promise that I'll continue this very soon and that the plot will become clearer later on. And by the way, thank you for that lovely RuKo! Heehee…Me adore you…*huggles cute little blue elephant* Hope you like it as much as I liked your RuKo. ^__^ Oh yeah, and Oh I couldn't think of any other title so please don't mind it anymore...Heehee... 

Dangerous Associations   
Part One   


Sendoh Akira walked idly through the upper class business district of Kanagawa, his blue eyes concealed behind a pair of dark tinted glasses, his hands thrust deep within the pockets of his pants. He usually didn't like going out by his lonesome self, but he had been bored. His lover of three blissful years, Mitsui Hisashi, had been called out on some job by his elder brother. What this job was and the things it involved, Sendoh didn't really want to know. He knew that he would just be worried if he did, considering the things he knew about what went on in the Mitsui family business. Before he could go any deeper into that thought, Sendoh forced his mind off that particular track, knowing that his sometimes overly hyperactive imagination would come up with all sorts of horrible prospects about what could happen to his Mits-kun while he was out on this job. It was better for him not to dwell on those sorts of things. It would be better for him to focus on the welcome that he would be giving his lover later on, once he got back to the apartment that the two of them shared. 

As usual, the prospect of some great, clutching- the- bed- sheets- don't- care- if- the- neighbors- wake- up- because- of- all- the- screaming- sex cheered him up immensely and he continued his walk, his steps becoming noticeably more bouncy and upbeat. He couldn't wait until his Mits finished his job, but until then, he would enjoy his walk. After all, he hadn't been in this part of Kanagawa for at least a year and a half. Not since his little run in with the law had cost him six months in prison, and a lot of things had changed since that time. There were lots of new stores that had sprouted up, and there were also a lot of new faces. Back in his time as one of the Mitsui's number one street- walkers, he had known every single one of the guys and girls that did business in this part of the district. He knew the ones that worked for the Mitsui family, he knew the ones that worked for the Rukawa family and he knew the free agents. 

Right now, he could make out a few familiar faces, those he acknowledged with a friendly little pat on the behind as he passed by. But the number of new faces was rather overwhelming. To the ordinary observer, the little group of young men and women loitering around the front of a hotel would just seem like a bunch of young people out for the night, but to an experienced person, one that knew what he should be looking for, he knew different. " Lots of new guys…" He muttered absently to himself as he examined their faces. He wondered who they worked for. There was a pretty dark haired boy with blond streaked hair that caught his eye. He was quite beautiful. No doubt that kid brought in top money, like he used to. If he managed to recruit him, Hisashi would be pleased. And he liked to please Hisashi. Besides, he needed something to occupy himself with for the rest of the night. 

He came to a stop before the boy that he had singled out, his usual, friendly smile on his face. He waited to see how the boy would react to this. He wanted to know if the youth, for Sendoh judged that the kid was only around sixteen or seventeen years old, knew what he was doing. 

The boy responded with a smile of his own. " Yes, sir?" 

Shaking his head, Sendoh clucked his tongue in disapproval. " That is not the way to start things, my friend." He remarked as he reached out to fix the boy's collar. He was inexperienced, but they could work on that. With a little time and effort, this kid would be working the streets like a pro. 

The boy's dark brown eyes widened, his confusion evident on his face. 

" How much do you pull in a night?" 

" I…don't…" 

" What? One fifty? Two fifty a night?" Sendoh asked brusquely, all business by now. He was not the smiling little pliant fool that everyone thought he was. There was a calculating, business like edge to him that not many people, besides his lover and those that he did business, with knew about. 

The boy was flustered. He wondered who this guy was. He obviously knew the business, judging from the way he talked and he was obviously well off, based on the obviously expensive clothes that the older boy wore. " Two hundred to two fifty." 

" And what's your name? Don't worry. I'm just going to try and help you out here, kid." 

" Kensako. Kensako Ruiji." 

" Well, Kensako Ruiji. What if I told you that I could help you get a lot more than that? Say, around four hundred to five hundred a night. Interested?" Sendoh asked, draping an arm around the younger boy's shoulder and walking him some distance away from his companions. " You're a free agent, I'm guessing." 

" Yeah. I am." 

" Well, I'm telling you right now that you would do a whole lot better working for the Mitsui family. They'll take care of you. I can assure you of that. Even if they take a tiny, little cut from your pay, you would still get considerably more that you're getting now." Sendoh, after a few minutes of extolling about the virtues of working for the Mitsuis, could see that he had already managed to convince the boy. All that remained now was to seal the deal and arrange a meeting for later on with one of their 'talent managers'. He was just about to do this when a hand suddenly clamped down onto his shoulder from behind him, interrupting his train of thoughts. He whirled around; about to tell whoever it was that was bothering them to piss off. He didn't notice the look of trepidation on his companion's face. 

" Sendoh Akira. I was hoping that I wouldn't have any reasons to run into you again…" 

Sendoh's heart was racing. Of all the people that he ran into this night of all nights, it had to be Maki Shinichi. The Police officer that had been the one to bust him and bring him into custody a year and a half before for prostitution charges. He had mixed feelings about this guy, which unsettled him deeply. One part of him hated Maki for being the one responsible for making him go through that six months of hell in the Juvenile prison, he hated Maki for being so damn persistent, for working so hard to try and bring Mitsui Hisashi down, and in the process, taking him down also. But a part of him, the part that appreciated beauty when he saw it, was strangely attracted to the handsome young man and the strength of his character. Trying to appear as unperturbed as possible, Sendoh did what he usually did when under situations that made him feel awkward or vulnerable. He smiled. " Maki-san!" 

" What's a pretty boy like you doing out this late, Sendoh? And back here in your old business head quarters?" 

Sendoh shrugged, giving Maki the full benefit of his disarming smile. " Just walking around, talking with my friend here, Maki-san." He replied, affectionately ruffling Ruiji's dark hair. He gave the boy's shoulder a little squeeze to silently reassure him that things would be all right. He could handle this. He could handle running into Maki like this, though this was undoubtedly one of God's more unpleasant surprises. But since when had God ever looked out for people like him and his new friend Ruiji here? " Do you have a problem with that, sir?" 

" No. I don't have a problem with you walking around with your friend here. There's nothing against the law about that." Maki replied. He doubted if Sendoh was back to his old job again. He had been closely following the activities of Mitsui Hisashi, who was suspected to be running a huge drug and prostitution ring with his elder brother around Kanagawa and the neighboring prefectures, and he knew of Sendoh's relationship with the guy. He didn't think the notoriously jealous Mitsui Hisashi (Who had been brought into custody a few times for assault on some guys who made the mistake of fooling around with his lover at that time) would allow any boyfriend of his to work the streets while they were together. But Sendoh could be up to other things. Things like the recruitment of new whores. Maki thought that this was very likely the case right then. " On the other hand, knowing what I know of you and your, I hope, past profession…" 

Sendoh pouted, looking put out. As though it was unfair for Maki to doubt him in such a way when he knew that the older boy had plenty of reason to feel perfectly justified in not believing that he had changed. " That is unfair, Maki-san. People change, you know." 

" I know. I strongly doubt that you have though." 

Sendoh opened his mouth, about to drag this out into an all out debate when he felt Ruiji tugging urgently on his sleeve. The presence of the cop made the younger kid nervous, obviously. And truth be told, Sendoh wasn't very comfortable with it either. The sooner he got away from the guy, the better, he realized. " Then think whatever you want to think, Maki-san. I can't honestly say that it's been nice bumping into again, what with our history, but at least I see that you are well. My friend and I really should be going now, though. We have things to do, places to see and money to make…" Sendoh couldn't resist getting that little dig in. Before Maki could react to his little comment though, he had place a kiss on the police officer's cheek before darting away quickly, tugging his new recruit along with him.   
~**~ 

Hanamichi Sakuragi watched his partner with interest as he walked back towards their police cruiser. He had seen the exchange between Maki and that tall, and from what he had seen, stunningly good- looking guy. He had seen the little kiss that the mystery man had given Maki before he had dragged his companion away, and he was dying to know what that had been all about. That was the first thing out of his mouth when Maki eventually pulled the door to the car open and slipped into the driver's seat. " Who was that?" 

" What are you talking about?" Maki demanded, feigning ignorance as he threw the brown bag filled with donuts at his partner. 

" That dark haired hunk that you were talking to, oldy. Don't play stupid! It's useless! The great Tensai will find out the truth eventually anyways!" Right at that moment though, Sakuragi looked nothing like the tensai that he claimed to be as he busied himself with licking the glaze off the pink donut that he had chosen for himself. " And you know, I can report you to our supervisor! I mean you shouldn't be making out with a guy while in the middle of our shift! Or going out for donuts for that matter." 

" Who was it that told me that he would pass out if he didn't get any sugar soon and begged me to buy donuts for him?" Maki asked, snatching away the bag that contained the said donuts and deliberately taking one of the pink glazed ones, which he knew were Hanamichi's favorite. 

" I was kidding, oldy. You're a great, incredibly generous partner. The perfect compliment to the great tensai…" Hanamichi took the donut right out of Maki's hand and replaced it with a chocolate coconut sprinkled one. 

" I suppose it's no use asking you to pay for your half of the donuts?" 

" You're right. No use." Hanamichi agreed. " Besides, I know that you're an incredibly generous, soft hearted person who wouldn't even ask me to do such a thing in the first place." 

" Coffee is on you tomorrow." 

" Whatever." Right in mid bite, Hanamichi suddenly realized that Maki still had not told him anything about the guy that he had seen him with. Deciding that he could stuff himself silly later on after he found out what he wanted to find out, Hanamichi carefully set the donut onto his lap, turning his full attention on the older police officer. " And about that guy…" 

" That guy that you saw?" 

" Yeah, that guy that I saw! He was pretty cute! Is he your boyfriend or something?" 

" No. He's not my boyfriend." Maki replied. His redheaded partner perked up immediately upon hearing this. " But stay away from him nonetheless. He's already taken. His boyfriend is Mitsui Hisashi, and any guy with half a brain, which I think you have, will know better than to try and mess around with Mitsui Hisashi's boy." 

Hanamichi pondered upon this piece of information until the meaning of the name 'Mitsui Hisashi' suddenly sank in. His eyes widened and he jumped in his seat, bumping his head against the roof of the car. " Mitsui Hisashi? Did I hear you say Mitsui Hisashi? Goddamit, Maki! How the hell could you just let Mitsui's Hisashi's boyfriend get away like that then? I mean, God! This is just the kind of break that the Tensai needs to be promoted to detective! I bet I could beat all sorts of information out of that guy about the Mitsui family operations if you just gave me a few minutes alone with him…" 

" Beating information out of suspects are not only unadvisable, Hanamichi. It is also illegal. Besides, what could I have taken the guy in for? I mean, it's not exactly against the law to stand around a business district with a friend. Though I really doubt that that was all that they were doing…" 

" You could have taken them in for lewd conduct…" 

" Lewd conduct? They weren't doing anything lewd!" Maki snorted. 

" That spiky haired guy had his arm around the other one!" Though now that Maki mentioned it, that didn't seem to be such scandalous or licentious behavior. Then another thought struck him. Hanamichi's brown eyes narrowed in suspicion as he pressed his back against the passenger side door in an attempt to get as far away from his partner as he could. " He kissed you Maki! He kissed you! My God! You've been in it with Mitsui and his gang for all this time and I never even knew! You Son of a Bitch!" Hanamichi made a lunge towards the police radio, but Maki beat him to it, pushing him away and thwacking him over the head with the brown paper bag of donuts. 

" You idiot! I am not in it with those guys, all right? Goddamit. How the hell could you think something like that up? Sendoh was just trying to cause trouble, like he usually does." 

" Ahh! So Sendoh is the name of your partner in crime, is it?" Hanamichi crowed, his eyes gleaming. The chief was sure to give him a commendation for getting the name of Mitsui's cohorts. 

Maki scowled. " You're an idiot, Sakuragi. Do you really think that I would work for that Mitsui bastard when I know about all the things that he gets up to, huh? Do you think I would help him peddle all that dirty stuff in the street when you know that it was because of that guy that my old partner died?" 

That shut Hanamichi up. Maki rarely spoke of his deceased partner, Fujima Kenji. But from what the redhead heard around the precinct, the two had been as close as anything. There had even been rumors flying around that they had been more than partners, but Hanamichi had never asked him about that, knowing that Maki never liked talking about it. " Sorry. Even the great Tensai jumps to conclusions. But I just wanted to know what you were doing, letting that guy kiss you and all." 

" I didn't let him kiss me or anything, okay? He just took me by surprise. And by God, Hanamichi! Haven't you been reading up on Mitsui Hisashi? Sendoh's name is all over the guy's files! I should bash you for not knowing about something as vital as Sendoh Akira." 

Hanamichi was guilty as charged, though he wasn't about to admit this. He had never liked sticking to his desk back at the head quarters reading reports. He liked to be out on the streets where the action was. " I…I know about Sendoh Akira." 

" Oh yeah?" Maki raised an eyebrow. He was going to enjoy watching the redhead try and get himself out of this one. " Tell me everything you know about him then." 

" He…He…" The redhead cast around for some plausible answer, his face breaking out into a huge, victorious smile when he came upon what he thought was the perfect one. " He works for the Mitsui Family." 

Maki snorted. " No he doesn't, Hanamichi. He used to, but he doesn't anymore." 

" That was a trick question!" Hanamichi shouted, outraged. A few people that were walking past their car stopped mid step, their attention having been attracted by Hanamichi's loud protest. 

" All right, Hanamichi. I'm going to brief you on Sendoh Akira now but this is the last, and only time that I will do so. After this, I expect you to go back to the office, get all the files that you can about the Mitsui case and read up on them. All right?" 

" Who do you think you are, ordering the Tensai around like that? I don't need to read files! I'm a natural at Police work!" 

Maki ignored him, resisting the urge to punch the younger boy just to get him to shut up. " Sendoh Akira is twenty years old. A couple of years back, he used to work for the Mitsui Family as one of their most popular prostitutes. I got him for prostitution charges and he was forced to spend six months in Juvenile prison but we were never able to get him to admit to the fact that he was one of the Mitsui's boys. We never are. Those guys are strangely loyal to them and they always claim to be free agents when they are caught, which aren't very often. It would be so much easier if we could get some sort of admission, because then, we could pin the Mitsui family down for dealing prostitutes." 

" You said that he used to work for the Mitsuis. So this Sendoh guy is clean now? He's not back to his old job or anything?" 

" I don't think that he's picking up customers anymore. But he's still with Mitsui Hisashi. You know, the younger of the two brothers? They live together and I think that though Mitsui wouldn't let anyone that he's involved with work the streets anymore; Sendoh still had his thumb in the pie. He's probably been given the reins in matters concerning recruitment, brothels. Things like that." 

" If you knew this, then why didn't you arrest him when you had the chance?" Hanamichi demanded. If he had only known all of this about the guy, then he would have jumped out of the car, run out after him and clapped handcuffs about his wrist. 

" Because you need proof to arrest someone. We don't have any proof. Only suspicions." 

" But I know how we can get proof!" Hanamichi exclaimed suddenly, his brown eyes shining in excitement. In his humble opinion, this idea of his was, to put it simply, quite a stroke of genius. 

Maki was considerably less excited, though. Which was really quite understandable. He knew enough about Hanamichi and his 'great ideas' to know that one shouldn't really put that much faith in them. "And what is that, Hanamichi-kun?" 

" You get really close to this Sendoh guy. Seduce him with your good looks, which are not quite up to the tensai's standards but which will do for now, and get all the information that we need out of him once you gain his trust!" 

This was actually one of Hanamichi's less stupid ideas, surprisingly enough. But that didn't mean that Maki liked it though. It made enough sense to do something like that, sure, but Maki was not a believer in the end justifies the means philosophy. He didn't like the thought of fooling around with the emotions of a young man that was already messed up enough as it was. " No." 

Hanamichi was outraged. Here he was just basically giving his partner a citation medal on a silver platter by sharing this idea with him and he still had the gall to say no? What kind of idiot was Maki Shinichi? " What the hell do you mean 'no'?" 

" I mean that the idea seems good enough, but I've never been one to stoop to such low tricks." Maki replied calmly, stuffing a donut into Hanamichi's wide-open mouth to shut him up. " I'm telling you right now, Hanamichi. One of these days, I'm going to get that Mitsui Hisashi and his brother. But I'm not going to be doing that by using Sendoh Akira."   
  


In the Next Chapter: Mitsui makes a promise to Sendoh that causes a big fight between him and his brother. Sendoh meets up with Ruiji once more. 

| Next |


	2. Part One

  


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Laree's Slam Dunk Fanfiction

Dangerous Associations   
Part Two 

~**~   


The apartment was dark when Mitsui walked in, which surprised him. He usually found Akira lounging around in the living room couch striking a come hither pose whenever he got back home. This wasn't the case today, though, and this worried him. In the line of business that he was in, you had to be wary of sudden changes in your environment, no matter how subtle or seemingly insignificant, and the fact that he couldn't find his boyfriend where he was *supposed* to be, had started his heart racing. 

Forcing himself to remain calm, Mitsui walked into the master suite, praying that he would find the spiky haired boy in there, safe and sound. But there was no one in the room. There was no one in the adjoining bathroom either when he checked it. That was when he began to panic. That was when his imagination began to run completely amok. Visions of his Akira lying in a ditch somewhere staring lifelessly up into the sky with those beautiful, beautiful blue eyes of his were going through his head as he took his gun from it's holster and ran out of the bedroom, intent on getting back to his brother and arranging a search party for the younger boy. 

" Oi! Hisashi, how many times have I told you not to run around the house waving your gun?" A voice demanded as he barged into the now brightly lit living room. Mitsui turned his head sharply towards the sound of the voice, only to see an obviously amused Sendoh sitting on the couch that had previously been empty. There was a box of pizza lying open on the coffee table before him and he was absently gnawing on a slice as he watched the mindless cartoon blaring on the television. " Sit. Eat. You must be hungry." 

After the panic attack that he had just had concerning Sendoh, Mitsui wasn't *that* hungry. Hunger tended to seem of little concern after you had just envisioned the person you cared for more than anything else in the world a bloody, broken mess lying in a shallow grave somewhere. He threw himself onto the couch next to Sendoh and wrapped his arms around him in a bone crushing hug, not even minding when he felt the pizza slice that the spiky haired boy had been consuming on his back. " You Idiot!" He muttered into Sendoh's neck, finally reassured of his boyfriend's safety. " You had me worried. You idiot…" he repeatedly told Sendoh what an idiot he was over and over again until the younger boy wrapped his arms around him, returning the hug. 

" You know what, Hisashi. I'm going to let the fact that you're calling me an idiot slip by me just this once since you're so obviously upset." Sendoh informed him, pulling back slightly so that he could see Mitsui's face as he spoke to him. " What's the matter? Did something go wrong with that job that your brother sent you on?" 

Mitsui shrugged, slightly embarrassed about being so emotional and panicking like that. " I couldn't find you, so I got a little worried. I thought something had happened to you…" He admitted as he set the gun down onto the coffee table beside the pizza. He still hadn't let go of Sendoh, still feeling slightly shaky. " Where the hell were you?" 

" Put the gun away, will you? Having those things around always make me nervous…" 

" Where the hell were you, Akira?" Mitsui repeated his question, an edge of anger obvious in his tone. He didn't like being made to worry like that. " I thought you said you were going to be staying at home the whole day. I expected you to be here when I got back. How do you think it made me feel when I saw you gone, huh? Especially with the sort of things going on between my family and the Rukawa's right now!" 

" The sort of things going on between your family and the Rukawa's?" Sendoh repeated, frowning. " It's *you* that should be doing the explaining, Hisashi! What sort of things are going on between your family and the Rukawas? If not finding me home once you get back manages to get you all worked up, then things must be pretty bad, huh? And yet, you never tell me anything about what you, or your brother have been up to! I have a right to know! I'm also in the middle of your dealings, you know that!" 

" I know that! And that, dammit, is the reason that I specifically told you to stay home!" 

Sendoh pushed his lover away and scooted as far away from him as he could get while still sitting on the same couch, a petulant scowl on his face. " I have been staying all day in this apartment for the past three weeks because you've basically *commanded* me to! I was bored, and I was thinking, and I realized that you're not the boss of me anymore so I decided to go out!" 

" Did you take any customers?" 

" What?" Sendoh demanded, outraged. With an indignant cry, he threw a cushion at Mitsui. " You bastard! You know I wouldn't do that! Not after the promise that I made to you!" 

Smirking, the scar-faced man drew closer to Sendoh, grabbing him by the wrists so that he wouldn't be able to punch him in the face. " I believe you, all right? I know you wouldn't do that. I just wanted to make you angry, so I said that. I didn't think, for a second, that you did." 

" Well, you *have* managed to make me angry." Sendoh informed him, trying desperately to get his hands loose, " And just for that comment Mr. I Am One Smug Bastard, I'm not going to let you fuck me silly tonight, like I'd originally planned to." 

" Oh, stop being stupid. You know that you eventually will anyways later on tonight." 

" What the hell do you think I am? Some sort of He-slut?" 

" You were, but not anymore. Because you're mine now and I'm never going to let anyone else touch you anymore…" Mitsui murmured, taking Sendoh into his arms even though the spiky haired boy was still struggling slightly. " I love you. And I don't want to lose you just because of the sort of business my brother and I run. That's why you have to understand why I'm asking you to stay home, and why I panicked when I came back and found the apartment empty." 

That stilled Sendoh's struggles somewhat. He was still wondering what was going on with the Rukawa's that had Hisashi and his older brother so worried, but he decided that he could ask him about that later on. With an exasperated sigh, he settled himself against his boyfriend, one hand absently toying with the collar of Mitsui's shirt. " You get me so angry. That was a mean thing you said about me taking customers. Why don't people believe me when I say that I'm not into that line of business anymore? That I stopped once you asked me to. It's not as though I *liked* what I was doing. How could *anyone* enjoy being bought by strange men everyday of their lives ever since they were fourteen?" 

" Who doesn't believe you?" Mitsui asked him gently, pressing his palm flat against Sendoh's to compare their size. Akira's fingers were slightly longer. Come to think of it, though Mitsui was older by a year, the spiky haired boy was much taller than him. But despite of Sendoh's rather intimidating 190cm stature, he still somehow managed to appear vulnerable and in need of attention, which Mitsui was more than happy to shower him with. 

" You, for one." 

" Oh, come on, Aki-chan!" Mitsui protested, kissing the back of Sendoh's hand in apology. " You know that I didn't mean what I said! I was only getting you worked up, like the smug bastard that I am! Besides, I was tired, and all stressed after the scare that you gave me! I was just blurting out the first thing that came into my mind!" 

" You believe me? You have to, because you know how much I hated what I was doing even before the two of us started to go out." Sendoh's blue eyes bore into Mitsui's own, pleading with him to reassure him that Mitsui was aware of his devotion to him. "It would be even worse now if I had to be with other guys, and not the one that I know I love…" 

" I believe you." Mitsui affirmed, sorry now that he had even started this whole thing about Sendoh and his past, a past that he knew the younger man tried hard to forget. 

" Then that means all the world to me. Maki Shinichi can think whatever he wants to think. He can still see me as nothing but a no good whore, but that doesn't matter, because at least *you* know that I don't do that sort of thing anymore…" 

"Maki Shinichi?" Mitsui had been surprised by that familiar name suddenly popping up in their conversation. His lips pulled down into a frown as he looked at the now smiling Sendoh. " Why are you bringing that guy up now?" 

" Because he was the guy that wouldn't believe me…" 

" Has he been bothering you? Has he? Just give me the word and I'll get rid of him, goddamn him. That man always just *has* to stick his nose into my business. *Always*." 

" That's because *your* business is also *his* business. I just ran into him by accident. He wasn't spying around here or anything." He hadn't meant to mention his run in with the handsome police officer. That would only worry the already overanxious Mitsui even more. But it was too late to take back what he had said. " Don't worry about Maki anymore, Hisa-kun. And as for getting rid of him, you know that would only be a bad idea. It would only bring attention to you and you don't want that, do you?" 

" I guess not, but if he ever does anything to bother you again…" Mitsui allowed his words to trail off ominously. " And by the way, how the hell did you manage to run into that guy?" 

" I was walking around…Pizza?" Sendoh answered flippantly, holding out a slice of pizza towards Mitsui, which the older man pushed away, perfectly aware of the fact that Sendoh was trying to get him off track. 

" Walking around where?" Sendoh mumbled something under his breath that the scar-faced man wasn't even able to make out. " I'm serious here, Akira. I want to know where you were and what you were doing." 

" Old business district, all right? I was talking to a guy there, Kensako Ruiji, and I recruited him for you because I thought you would be happy if I tried to help you out like I used to in the old days. And while I was talking to Ruiji, Maki happened to see the two of us and asked what we were doing. I told him that we weren't up to anything. He obviously didn't believe us, but then he left us alone…" This all came out in a rush, as though Sendoh believed that Mitsui would be less likely to get angry if he spoke really, really fast. 

" First I find out that you went wandering outside the apartment despite of the fact that I specifically asked you to stay inside the whole day. Now you're telling me that you not only knowingly disobeyed me, you were also stupid enough to appear in your old business district, recruit some guy from the streets *and* on top of all of that, let Maki Shinichi see you in action!" This really was turning out to be quite a day. Mitsui felt as though he had run through the whole gamut of emotions from panic just a few minutes before, down to this intense, throbbing anger that he was feeling towards Sendoh right then. Didn't the guy understand how serious things were? How could he go parading himself around Kanagawa after he had warned him about the potential danger? 

" I only wanted to help you! You should see this kid that I found, Mitsui! He's so cute! I'm sure he's going to be really popular and-" 

" I don't *need* your help with these sort of things anymore, Akira. I need you to stay at home and keep yourself out of trouble. That was the very reason that I asked you to quit in the first place. So that you wouldn't have to be involved in my dirty business anymore." 

" Well, I'm choosing to stick my nose into your dirty business now because of *you* choosing to stay *in* your dirty business!" 

" What are you talking about?" 

" Remember when I got taken in by Maki a few years ago and you visited me and you were crying and you were promising me that you were going to get yourself out of this somehow so that the two of us could get away from this sort of life?" Sendoh demanded. He thought of that occasion everyday, hoping that the two of them would indeed somehow manage to get themselves out of the mess that they were constantly getting themselves into. " It's been around two years since that promise, Hisashi-kun. Nothing has changed. If anything, you're even deeper into this whole business than you ever were. Back then, you promised me that that cocaine deal with the Tokyo Yakuza would be the last job you were going to run for your brother. After that, it was the Hong Kong brothel then after that one, that whole real estate scam. You keep on promising to try and change, that you'll get yourself into some legal stuff soon, and yet, you never get around to it! I've been waiting all of this time for you to realize that you're in a no win situation here. Eventually, the cops will catch on to all the stuff that you're up to and you'll go to jail. For much longer than I had to. It's either that, or you get killed. Now, since you seem so intent on self-destruction, I'll be right by your side when you go down, Hisashi-kun. And I assure you that eventually, you will." 

There were a few seconds of silence as Mitsui watched Sendoh pointedly ignore him. He knew that his boyfriend worried about him constantly whenever he was out of sight and that Sendoh hated the sort of things that he did, but it wasn't as though he could just up and leave his brother hanging without a partner! Especially not right then when some serious shit was going down with the Rukawas…But Akira was so important to him, he realized that now after the panic that he had felt when he hadn't been able to find his boyfriend inside their apartment. He didn't like the fact that Sendoh was constantly in danger just of his association to him. He would hate himself if anything ever happened to the younger man. He really would. " I promise you, Akira. After this thing with the Rukawas die down, I am going to get us out of this. I promise you that." 

" I've heard *that* before." Sendoh scoffed, his scorn obvious in his tone of voice. 

" But I'm serious this time, Akira. I really am. I'm sick of all of this. I don't like having panic attacks every time you go out of the apartment. I don't like worrying about you all of the time and I don't like the fact that you're put into danger just because of your relationship with me…" 

" What's gotten you this bothered, huh, Hisashi? What's gotten you so worried about me?" Sendoh asked him. It bothered him that Mitsui never wanted to talk about what was going on with himself. He thought it only fair that he be warned if he were in any potential danger. 

" We've just been having a little problem with the Rukawas lately, all right?" 

" What kind of problems?" Sendoh demanded doggedly. 

" The usual, you know. Fighting over who gets to control which place…they also think my brother tried to kill off Rukawa Kaede, the boss's youngest kid…" 

Sendoh closed his eyes and leaned against Mitsui. Now he understood just how serious their situations were. The head of the Rukawa organization was not known for just turning the other cheek. If he thought that the Mitsui family had tried to kill his son, then he was most probably going to hit back. " Did you?" 

It took a while for Mitsui to answer. " I didn't have anything to do with it." 

"Promise me that you're going to tell your brother that you want out of this as soon as you possibly can. Just promise me." Sendoh demanded, his hands digging into Mitsui's white button down shirt as he brought his face closer towards his boyfriend's. " You're just going to get hurt if you keep on doing these sort of things and then what will happen to me? You know that I need you around to take care of me. Your brother wouldn't think twice about getting rid of me if you're not around…" 

Mitsui's gaze never wavered. " I promise. I'll talk to Aniki as soon as I possibly can and I'll tell him that I'm finished with this sort of business." 

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